Mail-bag receiving and delivering mechanism.



A. BROWN. MAIL BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1915. 11 16 323 Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEEI I.

coLuMBlA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. C

A. BROWN.

MAIL BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 30, I9I5.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- w ,M ZM s a ABRAHAM BROWN, OF ELKI-IORN, WEST VIRGINIA.

MAIL-BAG RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application filed. March 30, 1915. Serial No. 18,058.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ABRAHAM BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkhorn, in the county of McDowell and State of West Virginia, have invented cerain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Bag Receiving and Delivering Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make" and use the same.

This invention relates to mechanisms for delivering mail bags from a mail car while traveling at full speed, and also for receiving mail bags from stationary cranes positioned along side the track over which the cars pass, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature which is comparatively simple in construction, and efficient in operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a car'carrying mail bag delivering and receiving mechanism which is slidably mounted interiorly of the car for transverse movement with respect to'the direction of travel of the car, for positioning the projecting delivering and receiving arm's upon opposite sides of the car.

Another object of this invention is to provide a track crane which is rotatably supported upon a standard, and has means associated therewith for absorbing the shock of the contact of a mail bag against the receiving crane.

Another object of this invention is to provide a car structure which may be reversed, while the car'is traveling in any direction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view this invention consists in such novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters-designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,'and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved mailbag catching. and delivering mechanisms, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved mail bag catching and delivering mechanisms, showing a fragmentary section through a mail car, Fig. 3 is an end View of the car carried delivering and receiving mechanism, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view partially in section of a part of the car carried delivering mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the car-carried delivering and receiving mechanisms as an entirety, which comprises a supporting frame or car 2 which has wheels 3 rotatably supported by the lower end thereof, which travel upon a track 4: that extends transversely across an ordinary mail car, between the doors of the car. The car 2 has upstanding sides 5 and 6, carried thereby, which sides have bearings 7 formed upon their upper edges which rotatably support a rod 8. The rod 8 has platforms 9 and 10 mounted upon its outer end and extending outwardly from the outer sides of the upstanding sides 5 and 6.

Each of the plates 9 and 10 has mail bag engaging arms 12 and 13 hingedly connected to their upper and lower surfaces, to one edge thereof, as is shown at 14 in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The arms 12 and 13 have their outer ends .15 slightly curved, and spaced from each other, for holding the ring (not shown), which is usually carried by the ends of mail bags thereon. The platforms 9 and 10 are provided with vertically extend ing openings 16, which communicate with recesses 17 and 18 which are formed in the arms 12 and 13 respectively. Spiral springs 19 are p sitioned in the openings 16 and the recesses 17 and 18, and tend to hold the arms 1n engagement with the upper and lower surfaces of the platforms 9 and 10 respectively.

The car 2 has arms 20 pivotally connected to braces 21 which are carried by the ends of the car. The arms 20 are positioned directly beneath the arms 12 and 13, and they have contacting spiral springs 22 secured thereto, for holding the arms in a downward position.

The platforms 9 and 10 are provided with V-shaped recesses 28 and 24 formed therein respectively, in the edges opposite to the ones beyond which the arms 12 and 13 extend.

l-irms 25 are pivotally connected at 26, to the platforms 9 and 10, and extend along the outer edges of the V-shaped recesses 23 and 24:. The arms 25 are bifurcated, for permitting of pivotal movement of the arms. The arms 27 and 28, which are formed by the bifurcation of the arms 25, are positioned upon opposite sides of the platforms 9 and 10, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Contracting spiral springs 28 are secured to the outer ends of the arms 25, and to the outer ends of the platforms 9 and 10, for holding the inner ends: of the arms in an extended position and against the inner ends of arms 30, which are pivotally connected at 31 to the platforms 9 and 10 and extend along the inner edges of the V-shaped recesses, 23 and 24, having their inner ends positioned for engaging the inner ends of the arms 25 for holding them in a mailbag receiving position.

The arms 30 have contracting spiral springs 33 connected to their outer ends, which are connected to the side edges of the platforms 9 and 10, for holding the inner ends of the arms 30in the proper position for engagement with the arms 25. The arms 30 have links 34 connected thereto, which links are in turn connected to levers 35, which are provided for properly adjusting the arms 30 for engagement with the arms 25.

The rod Sis rotatably supported by the bearings 7, and has a pin 36 inserted therethrough, for holding the rod and the platforms 9 and 10 against accidental rotary movement.

When it is desired to change the direction in which the respective delivering or receiving edges of the platforms 9 and 10 are positioned, the pin 36 is drawn out of the rod 8 and the rod is rotated for reversing the position of the platforms and the delivering and receiving mechanisms, by means of a handle 37, which is connected to the rod intermediate of the facing edges of the platforms 9 and 10. The track crane or receiving mechanism comprises a platform 40 which is-properly positioned alongside the track upon which the mail car travels. A standard 41 is secured to and extends upwardly from the patform 40, and rotatably supports a plate 42 upon its upper end. The plate 42 has rods 43 and 44 secured thereto and extending downwardly therefrom, which rods have their lower ends connected to spiral springs 45, that are mounted in cylinders 46, which are secured to and extend upwardly from the platform 40.

The plate 42 is provided with V-shaped recesses 47 and 48 formed therein and extending inwardly from its lateral edges, and practically in alinement with each other. The plate 42 has arms 49 and 50 pivotally connected thereto, which arms are identical in construction with the arms 25, carried by the car carried receiving and delivering mechanisms. The arms 49 and 50 have spiral springs 51 connected to their outer ends, which spiral springs are in turn connectedto the edge of the platform 42, as is clearly. sh wnin QFig. 1 of the drawings. The'arins 49 and 50 have their inner ends curved, as is shown at 52, for properly engaging a mail bag. Arms and 54 are also pivotally connected to the plate 42 and extend along the edges of the recesses 47 and 48, oppositely to the ones along which the arms 49 and 50 extend. The arms 53 and 54 have their inner ends positioned for engagement with the inner ends of the arms 49 and 50 for holding these arms in a sack receiving position. Spiral springs 55 are secured to the outer ends of the arms 53 and 54, and to the lateral edges of the plate 42, for holding the arms in proper position. for engagement with the arms 49 and 50. 1 rinks 56 and 57, are connected to the arms 53 and 54, and to a lever 58, which is pivotally supported at 59, upon the upper surface of the plate 42.

A track delivering mechanism may be provided, which has arms similar to the arms 15 and 20, carried thereby, for delivering mail bags to the receiving ca r carried mechanism.

When it is desired to deliver a mail bag from a traveling car, by means of the before described mechanism, the mail bag is secured to one of the arms 15, for instance the arm 15 illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the other end of the mail bag is secured to the arm 20, which yieldably supports the mail bag, in a position for engagement by and insertion into one of the V-shaped slots 47 and 48 of the plate 42, upon the travel of the car. When the mail bag passes into one of the V-shaped recesses of the plate 42, it will force the inner ends of the arms 49 and 53 outwardly, until the ring or link carried by the upper end of the sack, has passed rearwardly of the inner ends of these arms, after which the spiral springs 51 and 55 will automatically act for moving the arms to their normal position, which securely supports the mail bag by the plate 4.2, and within the inner point of the V-shaped recess, behind the inner end of the lever 53 in the space indicated at 60 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The operation of the receiving mechanism, which is carried by the platforms 9 and 10, is identical with the operation of the receiving mechanism carried by the plate 42.

The arms 53 and 49 are manually operated for releasing the mail bag for removal out of the space 60 and from connection with the receiving mechanism carried by the plate 42.

When the direction of travel of the mail car which carries the mechanism, is reversed, without reversing the position of the car, the delivering and receiving mechanism may be properly positioned, by rotating the platform and the rod 8 as heretofore described.

By the transverse movement of the car 2, with respect to the direction of travel of the mail car, the receiving or delivering mechanism may be extended from either side of the car as desired.

The shock of contact of the mail bag with the receiving mechanism carried by the plate 42, will be relieved, owing to the fact that the compact will rotate the plate 42 upon the standard 41, and stretch the spiral spring 45, to which the plate 42 is connected by means of the flexible members 43 and 44. Immediately upon the release of the force of compact, against the plate 42, the spring 45 will act for returning the plate to its normal position.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the advantages of construction and of the method of operation of the improved mail bag receiving and delivering mechanisms will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains and, while in the foregoing description, the principle of the operation of this invention has been described together with various features of construction, it is to be understood that certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be altered to suit practi cal conditions provided such alterations are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

lVhat is claimed is 1. In a mail bag receiving and delivering structure, a' car movable transversely across a mail car, a rod rotatably carried by said car, platforms mounted upon the ends of said rod, means for holding said rod in adjusted rotary positions, a mail bag delivering mechanism carried by said car including a plurality of pivotally supported spring controlled arms, and a receiving mechanism carried by said platform and including a plurality of spring controlled pivotally supported arms arranged in a V-shaped formation for receiving a mail bag.

2. In a mail bag receiving and delivering mechanism, a car movable transversely across a mail car, upstanding sides carried by said car, extensions formed upon the bottom of said car, a rod rotatably carried by said upstanding sides, means for holding said rod in various adjusted rotary positions, platforms mounted upon the outerends of said rod, a plurality ofaspringcontrolled hingedly conn e ctdarms carried by said platforms, a plurallty of pivotally connected spring controlled arms carried by said extens1ons, sa1d hlnged arms and said pivotally connected arms having their outer ends shaped for releasably supporting a mail bag.

3. In a mail bag receiving and delivering mechanism, a car movable transversely across an ordinary mail car, upstanding sides carried by said transversely movable car, a rod rotatably carried by said upstanding sides, platforms carried by the outer ends of said rod, said platforms being provided with V-shaped recesses formed therein and extending inwardly from one of their lateral sides, a plurality of arms pivotally connected to said platforms and extending along the opposite edges of said V-shaped recesses for forming a mail bag receiving mechanism, spiral springs connected to said arms and said platforms for automatically operating said arms for receiving and holding a mail bag upon insertion of the mail bag into said V-shaped recesses.

4. In a mail bag receiving and delivering mechanism, a car movable transversely across an ordinary mail car, upstanding sides carried by said transversely movable car, a rod rotatably carried by said upstanding sides, platforms carried by the outer ends of said rod, said platforms being provided with V-shaped recesses formed therein and extending inwardly from one of their lateral sides, a plurality of arms pivotally connected to said platforms and extending along the opposite edges of said V-shaped recesses for forming a mail bag receiving mechanism, spiral springs connected to said arms and said platforms for automatically operating said arms for receiving and holding a mail bag upon insertion of the mail bag into said V-shaped recesses, a plurality of arms hingedly connected to said platforms upon opposite sides thereof and eX- tending outwardly over the edges of the platforms opposite to the edges which are provided with said V-shaped slots, spiral springs connected to said arms for normally holding them in engagement with said platforms, spring controlled pivotally connected arms carried by said car structure, said fir stfl named hinged arms and said pinotcd arms having their outer ends slrll ed for releas ting a mail bag.

ony whereof I aflix my signature in'presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAM BROWN.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. BROWN, SAM BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

